Download Smoking Tobacco How smoking effects the: Do You Know?

Do You Know?
What’s in tobacco smoke?
There are more than 7,000
toxins found in tobacco
smoke that are harmful to
not only the smoker but
those exposed to secondhand
smoke.
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•
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Cyanide
Carbon Monoxide
Acetylene
Formaldehyde
Nitrogen Oxide
Take a minute to think about
what you are choosing to
subject your body to.
February 2016
Smoking Tobacco
Smoking is a choice that many people
make. However, many of these
individuals do not take the time to
educate themselves about the effects
smoking can have on their body and
those around them. Tobacco use is
the leading preventable cause of death,
disease, and disability. According
to the CDC, 42.1 million (about 1 in
5) adults in the United States smoke
cigarettes. Each day, approximately
3,200 people younger than 18 years of
age smoke their first cigarette. In the
United States 8.6 million people who
smoke, suffer from a serious illness.
Out of everyone who is exposed to
tobacco smoke, second hand or by
smoking, 443,000 people die annually.
Smoking tobacco is a devastating
habit that harms almost every organ
in the body, and can cause irreversible
damage.
How smoking effects the:
Brain
Overcoming nicotine addiction is
not an easy feat due to the changes
that occur within the brain. The
brain of a smoker develops extra
nicotine receptors to accommodate
the large amounts of nicotine being
taken in. When taking the steps
to quit, the brain is still looking for
that nicotine, making the process of
quitting even harder to overcome.
Once the decision to quit has been
made, be prepared for what is
known as nicotine withdrawal. The
brain will no longer be receiving the
nicotine it is used to, resulting in one
experiencing anxiety and irritability.
This could be permanent damage
to the ear causing mild to moderate
hearing loss.
Eyes: Smoking can reduce night vision
and in some instances, cause blindness.
Nicotine restricts the production of the
chemical that is necessary to be able
to see at night. There is an increased
risk of getting cataracts and macular
degeneration, which could ultimately
lead to blindness.
Mouth: Smoking can lead to oral
health problems, such as cavities and
cancers of the mouth and throat.
Face: Tobacco usage can lead to
what is called “smoker’s face.” This
is when the skin becomes dry and
Head and Face
Ears: Smokers can experience loses elasticity resulting in wrinkles
hearing loss due to the reduction to appear around the mouth and
of oxygen supply to the inner ear. eyes.
How smoking effects... continued...
Heart:
Over time, smoking can cause
irreparable damage and stress on the
heart. Constant stress on the heart
can result in the heart becoming
weak and less able to pump adequate
amounts of blood to the rest of the
body. Smoking can lead to: high blood
pressure, thickening of the blood, fatty
deposits in the blood and a lack of
oxygen from the inhaling of carbon
monoxide. These changes within the
blood and vessels cause damage to the
entire cardiovascular system, which
affects other organs and the body as a
whole. The risk of heart disease and
heart attack increases dramatically in
those who choose to smoke.
Lungs
Smoking has the most direct effect
on the lungs. Smoking can cause
scarred lung due to inflammation,
emphysema and respiratory infections.
Inflammation in the airways and
tissues of the lungs can make your chest
feel tight and cause one to feel short
of breath and/or wheeze. When you
smoke you are permanently destroying
the alveoli (air sacs) that exchange
oxygen within the lungs.
When
these air sacs are destroyed you lose
the ability of your lungs to maintain
elasticity which is required for proper
air exchange. Small “brooms” known
as cilia are normally responsible for
helping to keep the lungs clear by
sweeping out foreign objects. Smoking
kills or paralyzes the cilia which leaves
smokers more prone to respiratory
tract infections as a result of not being
able to keep the lungs clear.
Muscles and Bones
Smokers tend to have more muscle
aches and pains than non-smokers.
Smoking causes muscle deterioration
as a result to the lack of blood and
oxygen flow to the muscle. The makeup of a cigarette also disrupts bone
health. Your body is less likely to form
new healthy bone tissue resulting in
the thinning of bone tissue, causing
a higher risk of bone fractures and
broken bones.
Smoking tobacco also has major effects
on one’s immune system, stomach,
hormones and DNA. To learn more
about how smoking tobacco affects the
body, visit www.cdc.gov or www.lung.
org.
For help on quitting smoking, go to
NYQUITS or cancer.org.
Medications to Help Quit
Nicotine replacement products:
These are available as over-the-counter
patches, gum, and lozenges. There are
also prescription versions of inhalers
used either orally or nasally. These
products help you gradually withdraw
from nicotine without using tobacco
products. The intent is to slowly taper
down your usage so that your body will
down-regulate (reduce) the number of
nicotine receptors to avoid withdrawal
symptoms.
Prescription oral medications:
Products
such
as
bupropion
(Zyban) or varenicline (Chantix)
help stop the cravings for nicotine.
Although bupropion can be used
in conjunction with the nicotine
replacement therapies above, part of
the mechanism of action of Chantix
involves stimulating the nicotine
receptors. For that reason, it is not
recommended to use Chantix along
with nicotine replacement, as there
will be competition for the receptor
sites.
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